Valve and valve-operating mechanism for internal-combustion engines



Aug` 11, 1925.

E.J.VAN BALKOM VALVE AND VALVE OPERATING MEHNISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENG INES Filed April 15, 1922 5 SheetS-Sheet 1 v duomwq:

Aug. 11, 1925.

E. J. ,VAN BALKOM ERA'ING 'MEIANIS- FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES VALVE AND VALVE OP Filed April 13, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet Aug. ll, 1925.

E. J. VAN BALKOM VALVE AND VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 13, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3mm/tom Aug 11, 1925.

E. J. VAN BALKOM VALVE AND VALVE OPERATING MECHANISN FON INTERNAL CONBUSTION ENGlNEs Filed April '13, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet #L Aug` 1l, 1925.

E. J. VAN BALKOM V'ALVE AND VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENCLNES Filed April 15, 1922.

fatented Ang. ll., i925..

tihigf STATES News@ EBAY-ENT TFQ.

EDWARD J. VAN BALKoIvI, or rnanDALn, MICHIGAN, Assrenon vrro HAROLD Ir. SMILANSKY, or Dnrnorr, MICHIGAN.

VALVE AND VALVE-QPERTATINGKMECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

.Application filed April 13, 1922. ,Serial No. 552,289.

To all @nimm t may concern.:

Be it known that l, EDWARD J. VAN BAL- non, a subject ofthe Queen of Holland, re siding at Ferndale, in the county of 'Oakland and State of lVlichigan,Lhave invented certain new and useful improvements in Valves and ValveeOperating VMechanism for internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates t0 internal combustion engines and has special reference to a multi-cylinder engine that may be used for various purposes, the engine including a novel valve mechanism, arnovel system of lubrication, and a novel system off aircool-v ing. These means are to beseparately considered and attention is now directed to the valve and the operating mechanism which controls the intake andexhaust of explosive gases and burner gases to and from, the cylinders or combustion Vchambers of the Vengine. My improvement in this particular line may be characterized in the following particulars First, the cylinders ofthe enginey are provided with overhead nested intake and exhaust valves arranged tobe. shifted in .unison when burned gases are toexhaust, and the intake valves shifted independent of the exhaust valves when explosive gases are t0 be admitted, tothe cylinders of the engine. rllhe nested arrangement ofthe valves is such that the same arey coaxial of the cylinders and permit of the cylinders rapidly receiving or exhausting gases.

Second7 novel nested rocker members. are employed for actuating the intake and exhaust valves and associated with rods of said valves are springs which hold the valves normally closed, but these springs aresusceptible to compression by the rockerv meinbers when actuated by an operating Vmecha-y nism embodied in the engine.

Third, the valve operating mechanism includes nested cam actuated tappets which are interposed between a cam shaft and the rocker members of the valves, saidcam jshaft being driven in timed relation to the cycle of theengine so that thev intake and exhaust valves will be correspondingly actuated.

Fourth, the valves and operating mechaw nism `are constructed and arranged to permit of thorough lubrication and rapid intake andv exhaust gases to and fromt-he cylinders of the engine, suchbeing especially true in connection with the exhaust of burned gases, as the coolingsystem which 'I employ is also utilized for producingpartial vacuum adjacent the exhaust valves so that the exhaust gases will be quickly removed from the cylinders.l

The above are a few of the features of my invention and others will more readily appear as the construction of the valve and valve operating mechanism is better under stood. Reference will now'be had to the drawings, wherein Y Figure l is a side Velevation of an internal combustion engine, partly broken away and partly in section, showing my valvesan'd valve operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional-view of the same taken on the line H-Hll ofyFignl;

F ig. 3 is a plan of a portion ofthe engine, partly broken away, showing the drivencam shaft of the engine;

Fig. t isa plan of theengine Withthe top cover thereof removed showing therocker members for actuatingthe valves;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line V-Vof Fig. 2, showing deflectors and exhaust passages of the'engine with valves and other parts removed;

Fig. '6 is an enlarged perspective viewfof the valves and the operating mechanism thereof, and

`Fig. Tis an Venlarged vertical sectional view of a spring arrangement that may be used in connection wit-h the intakev and exhanst valves.

ln order that my valve, valve operating mechanism and other improvements may be readily understood there is illustrated the greater part ofmy internal combustion engine, which comprises a substantiallyreetangular crank case or engine bloc lyprovided with a detachable basin 2 hav-ingma well or sump 3.

Mounted on theV crank case and extending therein is a longitudinallyl disposedv row of cylinders Ll which are air cooled and tothis end are provided with circumferentialiins or heat disseminating members'.

Slidable in the cylinders 4f are pistonsrG having connecting rods 7 -rvoperatively `attached vto a crank shaft 8,..j,ournaled in heal ings 9 within the crank case 1, .and .said crank case has bearings l0 forI a longitw dinally disposed cam shaft l1 which may be driven from the crank shaft 8 by sprocket wheels l2 and a sprocket chain 13 or any suitable power transmission mechanism just so the cam shaft 11 is operated in timed re lation to the crank shaft 8. Y

Mounted on the upper ends of the cylinders 4 is a comparatively flat rectangular `housing' 14 affording longitudinally disposed and superposed intake and exhaust manifolds 15 and 16 respectively. The intake manifold 15 is comparatively' narrow and the rear end thereof communicates with a Connection 17 for a fuel supplyV pipe or 4conduit 13` and the connection 17 is intermediate diverging exhaust connections 19, ,as best shown `in'Fig. 4.

Thel exhaust manifold 16 is practically the entire width of the housing 14, as best shown in Fig. 5, and the exhaust connections 19 communicate with the entire exhaust manifold which is about the intake manifold 15, consequently the walls of the intake manifold and particularly the bottom wall 20 will be heated so that the incoming gas or fuel will be heated and placed in a better combustible condition.

The bottom wall of the housing` 14 has openings slightly less in diameter, than the bores of the cylinders 4, and the bottom wall of the intake manifold 15 has similar openings 21 co-axial of the cylinders 4. Mounted in the openings 21 are valve guides 22 provided with diametrically opposed. sup'- ports 23 which maybe secured by screw bolts 24 or other fastening means to the top wall 25 of the intake manifold l5. The

' supports 23 are disposed transversely of the Y in said manifold. In some instances theV housing 14 so that said supports will. be against or in proximity to the side walls of the intake manifold and thus not materially interrupt the'longitudinal passage valve guides 22 maybe seated in and secured to the bottom wall 2O of the intake manifold and then the supports 23` may be dispensed with, although said supports constitute bracing means for the valve yguides against vertical displacement during the operation of the engine.

VEach valve guide 22 has a lower inset end 26 provided with a packing ring or memberY 27, and slidable on the inset end of the valve guide is the upper cylindrical end 28 of a hollow exhaust valve 29, said exhaust valve boeing in the form of a shell which has a peripheral seating edge 30 and an intake valve seatV 31, the seating edge 30 normally engaging a valve seat 31 at the edges of the opening in the bottom wall of the housing 14 which communicates with the cylinder 4. The normally seated exhaust valve shell constitutes a conduit between the upper end of a cylinder and the intake manifold 15Y soV that gas or other `fuel may pass into the cylinderfrom the intake manifold without leaking into the exhaust manifold 16, although the exhaust valve shell 29 may unseat to establish communication between the cylinder and the exhaust manifold 16, as will hereinafter appear.

In the exhaust valve shell 29 is a spider 32 andmounted therein is the lower end of a tubular exhaust valve rod 33 which exf tends through a guide or boss 34 forming part of the top wall 25 of the intake mann fold 15. On the upper end of the tubular exhaust valve rod 33 is a head 35 and bearing against the lower face of the head is the upper convolution of a coiled expansion sprino 36 which has its lower convolution seated on the top wall 34 of the intake manifold 15 and about the boss or guide 34 of said top wall. The expansive force of the spring 36 against the head 35 holds the exhaust valve 29 normally seated or closed.

Slidable in the tubular exhaust valve rod 33 is an intake valve rod 37 which has its lower end provided with an intake valve 38 normally engaging the scat 31 of the exhaust valve shell 29 and closing the lower end of said shell, besides forming an end wall or head for the cylinder into which the intake valve inwardly opens. The intake valve rod 37 extends above the head 35 and at a 'convenient place below said head the rod 37 is provided with a transverse pin 39 against which is seated a head 40 loose onthe tubular exhaustvalve rod 33. Engaging the lower face of the head 40 is the upper convolution of a coiled expansion spring 41, said spring having its lower convolution about the boss or guide 34 of the intake manifold wall 25. The spring V4-1` is within the spring 36 and the concentric arrangement of said springs is such as not to occupy valuable space, prevent displacement, and insure a positive closing action of the intake and exhaust valves.

Connecting the crank case 1 and the housing 14 are tubular casings 42 and 43, Said casings being disposed in parallel rows at the sides of the engine with the lower ends of the casings mounted in the crank case 1 and the upper ends of said casings extending through tubular portions 44EL of the housing 14. The tubular casings 42 will be specifically referred to in connection with the lubricating system of my engine, and the casings'43 serve as inclosures for inner and outerltappet rods 44 and 45, the latter being loosely mounted on the former so that said tappet rods may be independentlyoperated. The outer tappet rod 45 is slidable in'apertured heads or guides 46 mounted in the ends of the casing 43 and the lower .end of the' outer tappet` rodhas a crown shaped cam engaging member 47 adapted to be-engaged, raised, and intermittently rotated by cams48 on the cam shaft11,

said cams engaging diametrically opposed edges of the member 47 with said cams or the lower edge of the member 47 shaped to cause turning of the member by the cams engaging the same, thus distributing wear about the annular lower edge of the member.

The lower end of the inner tappet rod has a cam engaging member 49 within the crown shaped member 47 and adapted to be engaged and raised by a cam 50 on the cam shaft 11 between the cams 48, and the cams 48 and 50 may be positioned so that the tappet rods may be alternately actuated or in any timed relation.

The housing' 14 has its ltop wall 51 provided with posts 52 disposed in a row to one side of the central vertical plane of the engine, and mounted upon said posts is a longitudinal bar provided with adjustable fulcrum bolts 54 which are engaged by upper rocker members or arms 55 Vextending into lower rocker members or arms 56, said rocker members being channel shaped with thev rocker member 55 inverted relative to the rocker member 56. The rocker member 56 has its ends bifurcated or slotted, as at 57, to provide clearance for the upper end of the exhaust valve rod 37 and the upper end of the inner tappet rod 44, so that the ends of the rocker member 56 may rest on the head 35 and the upper end o-f the outer tappet rod rllhc rocker` member arm 56, intermediate the ends thereof, has a depressed portion 58 for al fulcruni member 59, preferably in the form of a ball or spherical body which extends into a recessed enlargement 66 on the inner wall of the inverted channel shaped rocker member 55. The fulcrum member 59 spaces the rocker member 55 relative to the rocker member 56 and the fulcrum member 59 may serve either of the members 55 or 56. rlfhe ends of the rocker member 55 bear upon the upper ends of the intake valve rod 37 and the inner tappet rod 44, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

As shown in Fig. 7 the springs 36 and 41 may be helical and the heads 35 and 40 in the form of spring retainers. The head 35l may be anchored relative to the exhaust valve rod 33 by a collar 61, and a stuffing box 62 may surround the exhaust valve rod 33 at the boss or guide 34.

ln the operation of the valve mechanism, the intake and exhaust valves 38 and 29 respectively are shifted in synchronism when burned gases are to exhaust from the cylinders 4 into the exhaust manifold 16, and by reference to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the exhaust valve shells are partially surrounded by deflectors or shields 63 which are arranged to deflect burned gases to the sides of the exhaust manifold 16, and when air is forced into the forward end of the exhaust manifold, by a blower 64 driven by the crank shaft 8, the air in rushing past the deflectors or shields 68 produce a partial vacuum about the exhaustvalves 29, particularly when said valves are open, and it is this partial vacuum or suction which causes burned gases to be rapidly withdrawn from the cylinders 4 into the exhaust manifold 16 and expelled int-o the conduits or connections 19. This feature of my invention is amplified in my application relating to the air cooling of the engine., filed April 18, 1922, Serial No. 552,288.

lVith the exhaust valves 29 seated it is obvious that the intake valves 38 may be opened relative to said exhaust valves to permit of explosive charges entering the cylinders 4 through the exhaust valves and the guides 22 from the intake manifold 15, and as before stated the actuation of the intake and exhaust valves is timed by the cams 48 and 50 on the cam shaft 11 driven from the crank shaft 8.

What l claim is ln an internal combustion engine wherein cylinders are adapted to receive an explosive gas valves and valve operating mechanism for each cylinder, a housing on the engine cylinders serving as an exhaust manifold, an intake manifold in said housing, opposed supports mounted in said intake manifold, guides carried by said supports and depending from the bottom wall of said intake manifold and communicating therewith, exhaust valve shells slidable on sai-d guides and adapted to establish communication between said cylinders and said housing, intake valves in said exhaust valve shells controllinoI communication between said cylinders and said intake manifold, said intake valves being normally seated in said exhaust valve shells, and means adapted to move said exhaust valve shells and intake valves so that said cylinders may either communicate with said housing or said intake manifold.

ln testimony whereof l afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD J. VAN BALKOM.

lVitnesses A. TOLCHAN, K. H. BUTLER. 

